Regulating device for condensers.



PATENTED SEPT. 4, 1906.

H HELANDERQ REGULATTNG DEVICE FOR GONDENSERS. APPLICATION FILED APE.17,-1905. RENEWED FEB. 10. 1906- INVENTOR WITNESSES AXEL H. HELANDER, OF PUEBLO,

COLORADO, ASSIGNOR- TO MESTA MACHINE COMPANY. OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPO- RATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

REGULATING DEVICE FOR CONDENSERS.

Specification of Letters lz'atent.

Patented Sept. 4, 1906.

Application filed April 17, 1905. Renewed February 10, 1906. Serial No. 300.499.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, AXEL H. IIELANDER, of Pueblo, Pueblo county, Colorado, have invented a new and useful Regulating Device for Condensers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accom anying drawings, forming part of this speci cation, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section of a condenser embodying m apparatus. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of a part on a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the condensingchamber. Fig. 4 is a detail view illustrating the preferable construction of the thermometers and regulating electric circuit, and Fig. 5 is 21 Ian view of the contacts.

In t e drawings, I show my invention applied to the condenser illustrated in Letters Patent No. 785,614, granted to me on March- 21 1905, and will so describe it, premising that it may be applied to condensers of other constructions.

In the operation of condensers the theoretically correct amount of cooling-water is used when the temperature of the outgoing mixture of condensed steam and coolingwater leaving the condenser is equal to the tern erature of the steam admitted to the con enser. The temperature of the steam corresponds to the temperature due to the degree of vacuum produced by the condenser. Thus when a vacuum of about, twenty-five inches or an absolute pressure of about 2.5 pounds is carried the tem erature of the steam will be 135 Fahrenheit. If the water which is discharged" with the condensed steam is of the-same temperature as the steam, just the theoretical amount of water necessary to condense the steam is being used; but in practice the discharged water should be somewhat cooler than the steam in order in insure condensation. The difference in temperature should not, however, exceed a certain point, preferably 10 Fahr'enheit, since otherwise more water is used than is necessary and a waste of energy required for pumping-thec'old water at the. pro er pressure results. I p

y invention consists in providing a condenser with heat indicating or measuring devices, applied respectively to the tail-pipe;

or outlet of the condenser and to the steam constant difference of temperature between the steam and outgoing water, and also in providing means by which such regulationis effected automatically. The difference 1n temperature at which the apparatus is set to operate may be varied to suit the requirements of any given case, and the regulation is effected when that difference in temperature s exceeded.

. The invention may be applied in many ways. The apparatus which I illustrate is convenient and preferable. v i

The condenser illustrated inmy said patent is constructed as follows: In the drawings, 2 is the main condensing"- chamber. 3 is the pipe through which the exhaust-steam to be condensed is introduced thereinto.

4 is the pipe by which the cold water for effecting the condensation is delivered to the top of the condensing-chamber'by a pump 5, drawing its supply of cold water preferably from a tank or cold well 6, fed by a pipe 7. The water as it enters the condensing-chamber is divided by perforated'pans 8 9 10 and falls through the condensing-chamber in a multitude of fine streams.

11 is a tail-pipe which discharges the water from the condensing-chamber into a hotwell 12, overflowing at13 to the sewer.

14 is a separating-chamber connected with the top of the condensing-chamber 2 by a pipe 15 and having a tail-pipe "16, leading to the well 12-.

17 is a float-chamber connected with the bottom of the chamber 14 by a passage 18,

connected also with the upper part of the chamber 14 by a pipe 19 and connected with the stand-pipe 16 by a pipe 20. This floatchamber has a ipe 21, connecting it with one end of a coil 22, arranged within a hot portion of the condensing-chamber 2, the other end of the coil being connected with the separatingachamber 14 by a passage 22.

The float 23 has two valves 24 and 25, con

trolling, respectively, ports 26 and 27, the ports 27 connecting t e suction-pi e 28 of the pump 29 with the pipe 21 and t e orts 26 connecting the pipe 28 with the cateaaeea chamber and with the pipe 19, which opens l of water, preferably by the gravity of the thereinto.

An excessive vacuum in the chamber 2 will cause the water to accumulate in the chamber 14, whereupon the float 23 willrise and the valves 25 24 being moved thereby will first uncover the ports 27 and establish communication between the air-suction pipe 28 and chamber 14 by way of the coil 22 and pipe 21 The valve moving still further will close the ports 26, and thereupon the direct communication of the colder vapors from the chamber 14 to the air-pump will be shut off. Thus the current is by-passed from the top of the chamber 2, and communication will be established through the hottestpart of the cham her before delivering it to the air-pump, so that the vapors which pass to the air-pump from the chamber 14 must first pass through the coil 22 and pipe 21, and being heated in the coil, and thus increased in volume, their pres sure will increase. This will have the eiiect of decreasing the vacuum in the condensing vessel 2, and water in large quantities will therefore cease to enter the chamber 14 from the pipe 15, and the condensation will take ports 27. Then and under normal conditions condensation will take place in the vessel 2, the non-condensable vapors will be extracted b the air-pump through the separatingc amber 14, float-chamber 17 and pipe 28.

My regulating device, as shown in the drawings, is constructed as follows:

30 represents a thermometer inserted in the main 3, by which exhaust-steam from an engine is sup lied to the condenser. it is so placed as to 6 well exposed to contact with the steam and readily to assume the temperature thereof. A similar thermometer 31 is placed in the tail-pipe 11, exposed to contact with the water discharged from the condenser. These thermometers extend to an indicator 32, constructed so as to indicate or respond to the diflerence in temperature between the thermometers. This device operates by completing an electric circuit through a battery B, conductors C, and solenoid-magnet 37 whenever the desired difference in temperature is exceeded. A throttling-valve 33 in the cold-water-supply pipe 4 is connected by a lever 34 and link 35 to the armature'or core 36 of the magnet, so that when the armature isdrawn by the ma net the valve will be correspondin ly close and will thus diminish the flow 0 cold water. The valve is moved in the opposite direction to increase the flow parts, and is retarded in its motion so that it must move slowly, preferably by a dash pot 33.

38 anil 39 are insulating-bushings, preferably applied to the thermometers, and 40 40 are tubes which connect the respective thermometers with Bourdon springs and 46. The springs carr pointers 41 and 42, provided, respective y, with a bowed contactspring 43 and a contact-button 44. The springs, pointers, and contacts are madaof material of good electrical conductivity. The springs 45 and 46 are connected with bindlug-posts 47 and 48. The construction of the springs 45 and 46 is such that if the thermometers are exposed to equal temperatures the pointers 41 and 42 will move laterally to an equal extent under equal variations of temperature, and the contacts 43 and 44 will not touch; but the exposure of one of the thermometers to a lower temperature than the other will cause its pointer to move to a greater extent, and if the difference in temperature is sutticient the contacts 43 and 44 will be brought'together.

If the recess in the contact 43 is adapted for a difference in temperature of 10, then so long as the thermometers register within 10 o'f'each other the contacts 43 and 44 will remain separate ;but if the difference exceeds 10-for example, if the condenser is desired to operate with a vacuum of twenty-five inches, corresponding toa steam temperature of 135 Fahrenheit and the temperature of the discharge-water should happen to be 125, at which too much cooling fluid is being usedthe greater lateral 1n tion of one contact their the other will then bring the contacts into touch, the circuit will be com pleted, the solenoid 37 energized, and th valve 33 closed completely or in part. This cuts oil the supply of condensing-water from the pipe 4 to the condenser, and the temperature of the water in the tail-pipe 11 will rise until the thermometer 31 registers within 10 of the thermometer 30. When the thermometers thus register the, same or within the limits of variation for which the parts are set, the circuit will be opened and the valve 33 will open slowly, its rate of motion being determined by the dash-pot. When the valve is fully open, the maximum volume of water will enter the condenser, and if the difference of temperature then becomes excessive the contacts will again touch and the regulating operation will be repeated. In stead a; operating the valve 33 automatically it may be operated manually by the attendant in response to audible or visible signals actuated by the indicator.

My invention may be employed to regulate the volume of cooling-water which is supplied to the condenser by controlling the speed of the cold-water pump or controlling the speed of the engine or motor which drives the'cold-water pump which delivers water to the condenser. My invention may also be employed for the purpose of opening or closin the Water-valve automatically by means 0 an electric motor accordin to the requirements of the condenser and olding the valve in stationary position when the temperature of the outgoing water is equal to the temperature of the incoming steam or is within the limits of difference for which the ap aratus has been adjusted.

c1aim 1. A condenser having temperatureindicating devices affected respectively by the ingoing steam and outgoing water, a coldwater su ly, and a valve by which the sup ply of coiifwater may be controlled conformably to variations in the difference of temperature; substantially as described.

2. A condenser having temperature-indicating devices affected respectively by the ingoing steam and outgoing water, a coldwater supply, and a regulator controlled by the difference of temperature between said thermometers, and adapted to control the cold-water supply; substantially as described.

. 3. A condenser having temperature-indicating devices affected respectively by the ingoing steam and outgoing water, a coldwater supply, and a regulator controlled by the difference of temperature between said thermometers, an electric circuit controlled by said regulator, and a motorinthe' circuit and adapted to actuate the valve of the coldwater supply; substantially as described.

4. A condenser having temperature-indi cating devices aflected respectively by the ingoing steam and outgoing water, a coldwater supply, and a regulator controlled by the difference of temperature between said thermometers and adapted to close the coldwater-supply valve, and means by which the valve is opened with a slow motion; substantially as described.

In testimony whereofI have hereunto set my hand.

AXEL H; HELANDERV Witnesses: 1

LANE JOHNSON, CHAS. J. FLEIscH. 

